Immersion in Design Science as a Wealth Creation Strategy Using Web 2.0 in Telecenters

There has been some interesting discussions lately about Human Computer Interaction. After all, isn’t that what much of ICT is? Or is it? Another way to think about it is ‘computer augmented interaction.’ This is where the virtual, the electronic, merge and begin a dialogue effecting us as we effect our created world. No place is this as profound and powerful as in the area of design. The steps from dreaming and imagination, to rendering and drawing, to inhabiting in 3 dimensions, and then innovating before construction --offers an additional dimension to typical emergent systems. Through the use of the immersive internet--characterized by virtual worlds, web 2.0 and serious gaming--it is now possible to inhabit a design collaboratively, and co-create before a single tree is cut down. This is true of social, governmental and other systems which we design, in addition to structures or instruments.

Well, all very interesting --but what has this to do with my telecenter? First of all I am not speaking about Development. ICT4D is not going to do it. The process of innovating using Information and Communication Technology is an emergent one--for it to succeed. Emergent in the sense of an up swelling from below, a bringing forth from the bottom. It is critical to see the process of full capacity transfer as imitating biological processes more than specific historical political agendas, which the term “Development” surely implies. But “emergence” is something else. Thriving on diversity, openness, equity, deep self knowledge, respect for differences, risk, support for errors, serendipity, chance, collaboration--imagination, synthesis and creativity. This is not a factory environment. Happily there is a strong moral and ethical foundation in this process, based on a deep ecology.

The best way to transfer capacity at this very powerful level is to design, and redesign our environment and the sustainable systems which support and characterize it. Through a process of building a thorough knowledge of your biome--by building the many wikis of our cultures--we encounter the innumerable opportunities for designing a better world. But as importantly, the process by which this is learned and transferred, is itself a practice of the goals.

How does this create wealth? An emergent culture or group proceeds through a confident deep self knowledge to test and refine solutions to improve their way of life.
By taking advantage of the resources now available through the immersive internet, especially new technologies, software and devices that address the disabled, it is possible to have human computer interaction in a profound way. Solutions and efficiencies present themselves and soon emergent innovations and ideas are leading to new opportunities. No, it is not a get rich quick idea. The excellent part about this process is that it can be participated by everyone. That is one the basic ideas, to get as much input as you can. Children can draw, what others can describe and build virtually, which others can improve, and then others build, inhabit --and the cycle to repeats.

Vision for a new Architecture for Overcrowded Classrooms

Open Architecture Classroom Redesign for Creating a 21st Century Classroom:
Vision Statement


--Thinking about ICT4 education it is clear that an entirely new paradigm must emerge
--160--300 million students cannot be crammed into 19th Century Factory methods of pedagogy: the traditional school, classroom and its instructional hierarchy.
--Telecenters offer a trim tab (point of leverage) to create a new pedagogy based on 21st Century Literacy's
--One element of scalability is the peer to peer network of teacher/facilitator's that will be needed--the other is technology
--In expensive wireless computers and free wireless broadband must become ubiquitous so that education can go on 24/7/365
--The Telecenter is the wireless hub and "University/Library" of the 21st Century, it is where the certification process begins to be a teacher of basic 21st Century Literacy’s.
--Individualized Plans of Study can be created for each facilitator, who then may move on to further credentials or employment. Telecenter Certification is localized, and IPS are Course Modules being created in a local, hyper individualized way.
--When access to facilities are needed, use is staggered for different populations to ease crowding and maximize resources. --Students of all ages can study 24/7/365 in the comfort of their homes, immersed in learning activities, and a curriculum that provides the foundations for sustainability, and the MDG's.
--The physically challenged and otherwise disabled are one of our greatest assets--because they may be equally adept to the computer--leading fulfilled and prosperous lives as managers and data processors, and many other IT dedicated virtual occupations: designers, artists, developers, teachers, etc.
--Active, mobile and engaged students are immersed in real Life learning activities that contribute to sustainability--not locked away for their most productive times. Meeting at
the new school perhaps once a day for clarifications, instructions and reflections--there is no overcrowding. Small working teams meet intimately and share their projects and developments.
--The New School is a Community Biome Sustainability Laboratory, where renewable, ecological and sustainable systems are demonstrated and examined to be replicated community wide. A variety of data feeds give living numbers for measurement, evaluation and monitoring.
--A Common Area for presentations, demonstrations, celebrations and performances can occur for the wider community, and to give a sense of the whole systems involved
and necessary for sustainability.
--the value proposition in a knowledge economy is learning, learning how to aggregate, co create and collaborate: to gain more knowledge, as it were
--There is a teacher in all of us, and this teacher should be honored and paid as a facilitator in a 'peer to peer' or 'reciprocal apprenticeship' relationship.
--Job Creation--that the drive to be paid as a teacher/facilitator, will help power the economy of content creation, through the willingness to pay something for being certified and able to work as a teacher/facilitator. (Somewhat of a tautology)

What does this New School look like? The School or Telecenter is the Generation Station in many ways. And it is managed more as a resort or conference center.
It has many income strategies built into its very nature.

Some of its features are:
Solar Array or wind powered battery charging stations for laptops and other electronics
(Income generator)
Living Machines processing waste into food and other experiments
A Teaching Kitchen with Green Walls, Aquaculture and gardens, a source of nutrition and education about food and health.
Recipe books, local dinners and competitions raise funds
LAN Servers and Computers for instruction, general use and data monitoring
Wireless Broadband Hub--free to students/community
Instead of classrooms--meeting rooms where teams and work groups gather daily for instruction, collaboration and reflection: comfy, cool, practical, resource rich
These are scheduled on extended hours and to maximize the facility
Data feeds and monitoring from all of the systems, Real time accurate diverse data feeds from a variety of systems, including media
Constant content creation through wiki’s and aggregation of community knowledge projects and sustainability initiatives that the students are undertaking.
A place to crash if you need to sleep, a sanctuary, some place safe.
Media of all types: Radio, TV, Visualization Labs, Design Labs
A stage or Open Space for performances, presentations, celebrations, demonstrations, etc.
A shop repairing, learning installations and other maintenance tasks essential to the local systems.